Method and system for operating an enterprise management system on a mobile device

Abstract

Described are a method and system for mobilizing a management service platform. A connection between a mobile unit (“MU”) and a mobile service platform (“MSP”) appliance is established within an operating environment. A user of the MU is authenticated as an administrator. If the user is authenticated as the administrator, a mobile management interface (“MMI”) is launched on the MU, thereby changing a status of the MU to a managing device. A management instruction is generated via the MMI of the MU serving as the management device. At least one other MU is managed in accordance with the management instruction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of managing a plurality of mobile computing units (MU) within a mobile device management (MDM) system, comprising:
 establishing a connection between a MU and the MDM system, the MDM system managing the MU and including a plurality of management instructions within an operating environment; 
 detecting, by the MDM system, that the MU is incapable of operating as a managing MU because it lacks a mobile management interface (MMI); 
 authenticating a user of the MU as an administrator authorized to perform the plurality of management instructions; 
 deploying, by the MDM system, the MMI to the MU when the user is authenticated as the administrator, thereby changing a status of the MU to a managing MU, wherein the MMI application executing on the managing MU communicates with the MDM system to gain access to the plurality of management instructions; 
 presenting, via the MMI on the managing MU, information obtained from the MDM system, regarding at least one other MU in the plurality of MUs; 
 receiving, by the MDM system, a management instruction indicating a management operation that the user wishes to perform from the MMI on the managing MU; 
 performing, by the managing MU, the requested management instruction; and 
 displaying, on the managing MU, results of the requested management operation. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing, via the MMI application, the MU serving as the managing device to identify the at least one additional MU; and 
 causing, via the MMI application, the MU serving as the managing device to track and record an activity of the at least one additional MU. 
 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one additional MU is identified based on a unique automatic identification (“auto-id”) data. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the unique auto-id data is one of a barcode, a capturable image, a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tracking tag, an optical character recognition (“OCR”) symbol, a smart card, an integrated circuit card, a magnetic stripe, biometric authentication data, and voice recognition data. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a number of operating modes that exist on the MU; and 
 providing the user of the MU serving as the managing device with a menu of selectable operating modes via the MMI application. 
 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether the MU is enabled with the MMI application; and 
 providing the MU with the MMI application if the MU is not enabled with the MMI application. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting to the at least one additional MU data generated via the MMI application in order to modify a feature of the at least one additional MU. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the data transmitted is one of data for a software upgrade, data for modifying a system configuration, encrypted security data, business operation data, and data for updating a device driver. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting diagnostic data about at least one of the MUs from the managing MU to the MDM system. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 adjusting a display of a user interface (“UI”) of the MMI application based on a selected operating mode in order to show cached data and allow for mode-specific interactions between the user and the MU. 
 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a logout command from the administrator; 
 logging the administrator out of the MU serving as the managing device; and 
 removing the MMI application from the MU, so that the MU serving as the managing device no longer serves as such. 
 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the MU is one of a barcode scanner, an image capturing device, a radio frequency identification tracker, an optical character recognition device, a smart card reader, an integrated circuit card reader, a magnetic stripe reader, a biometric authentication device, and a voice recognition device. 
     
     
       13. A system, comprising:
 a mobile device management (MDM) system including a plurality of management instructions, the MDM system connected to an access point (“AP”) providing network coverage for an operating environment; 
 a mobile computing unit (MU), the MU being managed by the MDM system and receiving a mobile management interface (MMI) application from the MDM system when a user of the MU is authenticated as an administrator authorized to perform the plurality of management instructions, thereby changing a status of the MU to a managing MU, the MMI application executing on the managing MU communicating with the MDM system in order to gain access to the plurality of management instructions; and 
 at least one managed MU in communication with the managing MU, the managing MU performing a management instruction from the MMI application on the at least one managed MU and displaying results of the management operation. 
 
     
     
       14. The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the MMI application causes the managing MU to identify the at least one managed MU, and the MMI application further causes the managing MU to track and record an activity of the at least one managed MU. 
     
     
       15. The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one managed MU is identified based on a unique automatic identification (“auto-id”) data. 
     
     
       16. The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the unique auto id data is one of a barcode, a capturable image, a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tracking tag, an optical character recognition (“OCR”) symbol, a smart card, an integrated circuit card, a magnetic stripe, biometric authentication data, and voice recognition data. 
     
     
       17. The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the MDM system transmits to the at least one managed MU data generated via the MMI application in order to modify a feature of the at least one managed MU. 
     
     
       18. The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the data transmitted is one of data for a software upgrade, data for modifying a system configuration, encrypted security data, business operation data, and data for updating a device driver. 
     
     
       19. The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the managing MU transmits diagnostic data about the at least one managed MU to the MDM system. 
     
     
       20. The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the MDM system determines whether the managing MU is enabled with the MMI application and provides the managing MU with the MMI application if the managing MU is not enabled with the MMI application. 
     
     
       21. The system according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a user interface (“UI”) of the MMI application based on a selected operating mode showing cached data and allowing for mode-specific interactions between the administrator and the managing MU. 
 
     
     
       22. The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the MDM system receives a logout command from the administrator, logs the administrator out of the managing MU, and removes the MMI application from the MU, so that the managing MU no longer serves as such. 
     
     
       23. The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the managing MU is one of a barcode scanner, an image capturing device, a radio frequency identification tracker, an optical character recognition device, a smart card reader, an integrated circuit card reader, a magnetic stripe reader, a biometric authentication device, and a voice recognition device.